In the past and to a certain extent still today, many integrated circuits are formed by etching a plurality of individual functional modules, or a group of a few interconnected functional modules onto the surface of a body of semiconductor material. Once the functional modules are formed onto the body of semiconductor material, each individual functional module, or the group of a few functional modules are cut out of the semiconductor material and are packaged as individual integrated circuits. Each integrated circuit comprises a cluster of signal transmissive connector elements that can be connected to external circuitry using a connecting device. Such integrated circuits occupy a small enough area of semiconductor material that the thermal expansion of the semiconductor material does not effect the connection between the signal transmissive connector elements and the connecting device.
Presently, integrated circuits are becoming increasingly large. A problem with such large integrated circuits is that they comprise more than one cluster of signal transmissive connector elements, and the separation between the clusters changes as the body of semiconductor material expands and contracts under thermal effects. Unfortunately, traditional connecting devices do not have the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the body of semiconductor material. Therefore, as the body of semiconductor material heats up, the expansion of the distance between the clusters of signal transmissive connector elements causes strain on the connections between the clusters of signal transmissive connector elements and the connecting device. Often, this strain is enough to damage and break the connection.
Therefore, there exists a need in the industry for a connecting device that is able to connect to the many clusters of signal transmissive connector elements positioned on a large integrated circuit and maintain a secure connection with these signal transmissive connector elements as the body of semiconductor material expands and contracts.